Countdown to christmas

I am a complete Christmas- aholic and usually start getting set for the Christmas season around September. This year however my hubby and I are trying to chill out a bit on it and have promised ourselves not to get too excited too early and cause 'excess-Christmas-itis!'
Of course the exception to this rule is card making and present buying because it just makes good sense to be well prepared with those.
This little Christmas card is stamped with a penny black stamp and coloured with promarkers. I added glossy accents to the baubles to give them a bit of shine.  I embossed some red bazzill card with a sizzix Christmas embossing folder. I lightly sanded the top to bring out the greeting and glittered the corner with stickles. The other embossing folder in the set was the stockings which I used to emboss some scraps of Christmas papers. I then cut out the stockings and 'hung' them on red and white twine.

This card is destined for the following challenges;
Penny black - anything christmas
Allsorts- Christmas
Penny Black Saturday- embossing
Simon says stamp - glossy

Walking in a Winter wonderland

Yep, I'll be singing that from today until Christmas now!

Today I'm sharing with you my snowman card. The stamps used are all by card-io and the inks are versa colour. I found some scraps of card in my stash that I had previously die cut snowflakes from. I used the holes that had been left behind as a stencil and inked them with a mix of blue inks applied with a dry baby wipe. I stamped more snowflakes over the top and dotted some of them with liquid pearls. I stamped the snowman and lamp on an oval and inked in my usual way. I also stamped up the winter wonderland message on a rectangle. I assembled the whole card adding navy ribbons and more liquid pearls as embellishments.

I'd like to enter this card in to the following challenges;
Crafty ribbons - snowman
Penny black at allsorts - Christmas
Allsorts- Christmas
Create and craft - ribbon or twine

Less is more

Every so often as card makers we are tasked with making a card that really challenges us. I remember once being commissioned to make a 50th birthday card for a nurse who was in to lace making and baking... Incorporating all of those elements! Needless to say the resulting card was most definitely one-of-a-kind!
This weekend I am attending a double adult baptism and as such I need to make two cards. The sudden realisation that I have no idea what normally goes on a baptism card, coupled with needing to make two of the things, was rather daunting. Anyway, I figured, if in doubt, less is more, and teamed my make with this weeks Less is more sketch challenge.

This is the sketch I was trying to match. ( No one needs to know that my first thought when I saw it was 'why is there a tampon on the card?!!!' do they?)

Anyway!!!


Here is my card

I inked the rough shape on to the card first using versa colour Evergreen and Atlantic. I then masked off the tree line with torn paper and stamped the trees (card-io set) in black.

Next I moved the mask so that it covered the trees and added an additional torn paper mask below so I could ink the lake. This is in versa ink, lagoon.

Keeping the masks in place, I then stamped the trees upside down to give the impression of a reflection.

Finally I handwrote the message using an ultra fine fineliner.

Reindeer in the snow

This is my submission for the Crafty ribbons reindeer challenge, and also for the Penny black Saturday embossing challenge. (The background paper is embossed with a sizzix flower embossing folder which I think looks like snow flakes!)

Ingredients;
Basic grey papers
Penny black stickeroos
Icicle stickles
Pewter liquid pearls
Silver ribbon
White and silver edged ribbon
Snowflake dies
Flower embossing wallet

Hedgehogs and autumn gatherings

As I sit here with my booty slippers, bowl of porridge and the rain pouring down outside, I have to say it is feeling rather more wintery than autumnal. However the beautiful orangey leaves are still clinging to the flowering cherry in the front garden so I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a final autumnal card this month.

Ingredients;
Craft work cards 6x6 white square card
Yellow background paper (such as doodlebug flowers)
Penny black 'peek a boo' stamp
Black ink (such as versa colour)
Tim Holtz distress ink in pumice stone
Tim Holtz alterations autumn gatherings die
Craft work cards sugar and spice die cut sentiments
Doodlebug sugar coating bon bon glitter
Promarkers
Glossy accents

From your stash;
Scraps of autumnal coloured papers
Ribbon
Button
Double sided tape and glue

To make this card first back your square cardstock with a patterned paper. Mine is one by doodle bug. Lightly ink around the edge in pumice stone distress ink and set aside.
Stamp up the penny black hedgehogs on a rectangle of card and colour using promarkers. Edge the card with some more pumice stone distress ink and set this aside too.
Use a craft work cards sentiment and ink with the same distress ink.
Using sizzix autumn gatherings die, cut out a selection of leaves from coloured papers. Dab them with yet more pumice stone ink and add fine lines of glue to some of them. Sprinkle with ultra fine glitter. Now gather everything together and start to assemble your card.

Affix the ribbon about a third of the way up from the bottom attaching it to the wrong side if your card with plain white labels so it is fairly discrete.
Add the hedgehog picture with double sided tape followed by the leaves and acorns in the corners.

Finally add the happy birthday sentiment and a large button. Add glossy accents to the snail shell and the happy birthday sentiment to set them off.

I'd like to submit this card to the following challenges;
Penny black at all sorts
Sir stamp a lot stamping sensations

A nostalgic craft barn card

I've made this card as a farewell to the craft barn shop who sadly closed its doors for the final time this week. I have many fond memories of trips to the craft barn with my mum, particulary in its earlier days at the site in Lingfield.

To the best of my memory, the penny black stamp used here is the first I ever bought at the craft barn. Now it is time to say farewell, and all the best!!

The craft barn

Of mice and mushrooms

I thought I'd take a moment to share with you the anniversary card I have made for my husband. Although it's a little girly, he is a keen forager so the mushroom with the mice on top seemed fitting enough.

It's a relatively simple make, I stamped the image using black versa colour ink and coloured it with pro markers. I matted and mounted the image using coordinating autumnal coloured papers and added the ribbon to finish off, sticking it down with double sided tape.

I'd like to enter the card in to the following challenges;

My time to craft
Penny black and more
Stamping sensations